


Sunggyu and the Prince Under the Sea

by inspiritchingu



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-05-01 13:30:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5207630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inspiritchingu/pseuds/inspiritchingu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adapted from the Japanese legend of 浦島 太郎 with an alternate ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunggyu and the Prince Under the Sea

A smile creeps its way to Sunggyu’s mouth as he watches the children play in the sand. He pulls his boat to shore and jollily jumps into it to tidy his nets and hooks. All of a sudden, he hears loud fits of laughter and some cries of another child begging the others to stop. Curiously, he gets off his boat and walks over to where the commotion is taking place.

A girl is crying, “Stop it!” But all the boys form a circle keeping her out while they laugh and poke and jeer.

In a booming voice, Sunggyu asks, “What’s going on?”

“They’re torturing it!” she shouts with eyes filled with tears.

The boys hiss and throw angry glares at the little girl.

Sunggyu pushes his way through the rowdy boys who are grunting their dissatisfaction and even attempting to shove Sunggyu off. Sunggyu, being bigger and a lot older than the boys, manages to get in regardless. He sees a little turtle wriggling under a boy’s hold. Sunggyu grabs the turtle and shouts, “Get back all of you!”

As if the boys woken from a spell and recognizing Sunggyu’s authoritative voice, they step back and bow in regret for their actions.

He yells to reprimand them, “Look at what you’re doing! You should not hurt this little turtle. We get food from the sea. Yes. But we do not let them suffer. We owe it to them to be at least merciful if not grateful for the blessings we take daily.” He takes a look at each of them in turn, “You, all of you, I know all of your fathers and they are all fishermen like me. You dishonor their great sacrifice in the sea to feed your bellies. You dishonor their gratitude to the sea.”

The boys keep their head hung low and keep their eyes dry although they already feel the sting of the tears about to fall.

“Go home now and remember this day. You will not hurt a creature of the sea if you do not have a great purpose and even with that, you will not make them experience long suffering.”

When everyone has left, even the little girl, Sunggyu takes the turtle closer to his chest as if it is very precious and he does not want it to experience the great cold blow of the wind; as if it does not have a shell to protect itself.

“I’m sorry, little one,” he whispers to it. “Please forgive those boys for they did not what they had done.”

He sets it down near the sea and pats its shell. “Be free and join your kind. Live long, little one.”

The turtle nods its head as if it understood and for a moment, Sunggyu freezes in astonishment. As soon as the turtle has left, Sunggyu breaks free of his momentary amazement.

He gets back to his boat and proceeds what he was about to do before what happened; dismissing anything mysterious about the turtle.

The next morning, Sunggyu bids his mother goodbye as he sets off for the sea.

As soon as he is on the sea and preparing his net, however, a giant turtle emerges from the water and approaches Sunggyu.

“Brave man,” it begins to say without moving its mouth. Sunggyu doesn’t know if it is his imagination but Sunggyu hears the words. “Brave man,” it says again. “Do not fear me for I have come in good will and gratitude. I am here to repay your kindness to the prince.”

“What prince?”

“The prince of the sea that you have saved, of course.”

“The little turtle was your son?”

“No, brave man. I am but a mere servant to the kingdom. But the prince told everyone about your bravery and your kind spirit. The king was very moved and insisted he reward you.”

Sunggyu cannot respond. This is unbelievable to him. He attempts to convince himself that this is merely his imagination and he needs to wake up soon.

“The king invites you to his kingdom. Come ride on my back and I will take you there.”

Sunggyu looks around on instinct and wonders if he really should. At the same time, he is really curious.

“Come, brave man. Abandon your boat. The king will give you more riches than your simple boat.”

Sunggyu imagines his mother in silk and happily eating a bountiful feast on the table. Then, he imagines his mother now who is probably making do with the tiny fishes he caught yesterday. Without a doubt in his mind, Sunggyu jumps onto the giant turtle’s back and takes hold of the cracks on it.

“Hold on tightly, brave man.”

There is a swell of pride in Sunggyu’s heart when the giant turtle calls him brave man this time. He has never left the seaside that is his home for anywhere else but this far into the sea. Indeed, now he feels that he is brave for taking this leap of faith and starting an adventure.

Everywhere around him and the giant turtle, golden light begins to engulf. It is as if they were in a giant golden bubble. The turtle explains, “It is for you, so you can breathe.”

The giant turtle swims down and down under the sea. Sunggyu begins to be more amazed with what he sees. There are a number of fishes in different colors and they are in various sizes; the biggest of which Sunggyu can hardly fathom because they are bigger than him. There are squids that are humongous Sunggyu can only see parts of it at a time. There are lobsters, crabs, and oysters that Sunggyu thinks can be the size of his town and maybe even bigger than all he’s ever known.

It feels to be forever but Sunggyu does not complain because there are much more to see as they go down.

Finally, the giant turtle enters an amazing structure made out of corals. He tells Sunggyu that he may get off of him now and not to worry because the sea king has granted him the freedom of the sea whereby he can walk and amongst the sea creatures as if he was an equal.

As soon as Sunggyu steps foot on the sandy wet ground, he notices he is not wet even without the bubble around them now and he finds it he can breathe better than when he was above. He turns around in wonder and notices that the giant turtle has disappeared. In its place is a man in green silk with various green tattoos on his skin. There is a stone on his forehead and his eyes are closed. Without moving his lips, the man communicates to Sunggyu, “Brave man, come with me. You have entrusted me with your life once, let us see my mission through to the end.”

Sunggyu wonders what he means but he follows.

“There he is!” A loud cry comes from above when Sunggyu enters. He looks up and sees another man with golden hair and a big smile on his lips. The man is wearing robs that is iridescent. With every movement the man makes, his robes shine in different vibrant colors. When the man rushes down the stairway, Sunggyu can see the man’s legs and Sunggyu blushes upon realizing that the man is naked under his robes.

The man immediately embraces Sunggyu tightly.

“My sweetheart, I missed you all this time we have been apart.”

Sunggyu is shocked, to say the least. He does find this man attractive but to think they have been lovers is beyond ridiculous to him. Upon realizing the lack of recognition, the man steps back; pain apparent in his lovely face.

“I’m sorry I’m too forward. It is just that, I have left my heart with you, my brave savior. It is I, the one you set free.”

“You’re… the little turtle?”

The man blushes. “You keep calling me little and yet why does it sound like you are so fond of me when it might mean you are insulting my size?”

“I didn’t mean to,” Sunggyu rushes forward to the man. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. How are you? I did not know who you were. I did not ask you how much you hurt above. I only hoped you would be well.”

“I’m fine,” he whispers as he gazes upon Sunggyu. “But my heart has been in too much pain since we have been apart.”

“But it was only yesterday,” Sunggyu soothingly argues.

“To you, it may have been. But I had to endure without you for what feels like an eternity. I love you even if I do not even know your name. I thought about you all this while. Your bravery and your kind spirit have been what made me strong; waiting for you to come back to me.”

Sunggyu blushes and his heart aches.

“My name is Sunggyu.”

“I’m Woohyun,” the man says with tears pooling in his eyes. “Finally, you are here.”

They share a passionate kiss and Sunggyu wishes it will be like this for all the days of his life; together with Woohyun.

But Sunggyu can’t hide his true feelings from Woohyun. Woohyun sees the incompleteness in him; the rare times he looks out far from where Woohyun can reach.

“What is bothering you, my sweet Sunggyu?”

“I’m really happy here with you, Woohyunnie.”

Woohyun sighs and braces for the other part of the answer.

“But I left my mother. I don’t know if you can understand but my mother and I have been the world I’ve always known.”

“Oh, Sunggyu. Of course, I understand!”

Sunggyu embraces him and shyly whispers a thank you but Woohyun leaves his arms for a second and returns with a ball.

“You can see how your mother is doing when you hold this,” he explains.

The smile on Sunggyu’s lips is blinding and Woohyun can’t help but kiss Sunggyu’s lips.

Smoke filled the ball upon Sunggyu’s touch. When it cleared, a figure of an old woman coughing and crying is seen.

“That is my mother,” Sunggyu exclaims in horror. “Woohyun, she is dying!”

Woohyun comforts Sunggyu in his arms but Sunggyu cannot even comprehend the tears falling from his eyes and the loud screaming that seems to be apart from him but he knows in part of his brain is coming out of his mouth.

Sunggyu calms down in a while and they decide that it is really best for Sunggyu to leave. The king will welcome Sunggyu’s mother with them in the kingdom so they all can live happily.

“Before you leave,” Woohyun tells Sunggyu and then kisses him on his lips. “I need you to bring my love as your protection.”

Sunggyu smiles at him fondly. “And my heart will be here with you, Woohyun.”

“I’m very serious Sunggyu.”

Sunggyu makes a face in mock horror, “So all this time you weren’t serious?”

Woohyun rolls his eyes and gives Sunggyu a locket, wearing it on him. “Do not open this. While it is closed, it will protect you.”

Sunggyu nods and holds Woohyun’s hand in his.

“Promise me.”

“I promise.”

“Come back to me safely, my love.”

With a heavy heart, Sunggyu rides through the sea on a seahorse. It feels like another eternity but unlike before, Sunggyu doesn’t feel any amazement, any wonder. There is only sadness in his heart. He feels as though he is leaving his life and yet he knows he just needs to get to his mother and take her back with him. However, it does not feel like a plan. He is full of anxiety and sadness.

“We are here,” the seahorse tells him.

Sunggyu swims to shore and he instantly recognizes his house, or more appropriately where his house used to be.

He does not recognize anyone.

He walks around searching for a familiar face but he sees no one. They all look like strangers to him. Their clothes and what occupies them seem foreign to Sunggyu.

“Pardon, sir,” Sunggyu says to a man cleaning his boat. “What day is today?”

The man answers him but Sunggyu freezes.

It cannot be, he thinks to himself.

“The old emperor has died. It has been 300 years passed, boy.”

His mother is surely long gone and Sunggyu rushes to the sea, screaming. He howls in pain and cries his feelings away.

Woohyun knows. What good is a protection if I have already lost everything, he thinks to himself.

As he is about to open the locket, a distant voice whispers to him, “Come back to me.”

“Forgive me, my love,” He whispers back. “I did not mean to open the locket.”

Sunggyu swims to the sea. He feels the rush of the water and the bruising power of the waves. He cannot swim down. He cries and cries.

He hears a voice that says to him, “Come back to me.”

Then, all of a sudden, there are arms around him and Woohyun nuzzling against his hair. “You belong with me now.”

From then on, Sunggyu and Woohyun lived their lives together under the sea in the land of the undying.


End file.
